Curiosity
by Agar
Summary: Ezio just can't leave well enough alone, forcing Leonardo into confessing more than he wanted to. SLASH Ezio/Leonardo
1. Part I

"_Curiosity"_

_by Agar_

**Rating**: Mature for language and homosexuality

**Summary**: Ezio just can't leave well enough alone, forcing Leonardo into confessing more than he wanted to.

**Disclaimer**: Assassin's Creed and all related titles are the property of Ubisoft and people who are not me. I am merely a poor college student who likes to play with the toys in their sandbox.

**Author's Notes**: My first AC fic! I actually haven't played the game because I don't own a 360 or PS3 *cries* so please forgive any mistakes. Everything I know I learned from fanfiction, the AC Wiki, and YouTube videos of the gameplay. The sole reason I even got into AC was because the second one featured Leonardo da Vinci, who I have a major case of the streaming thigh sweats for now. From there I discovered the awesomeness of Ezio, and Altair, and Malik... *drool* So much hot man meat. Of course I had to write a Ezio/Leo fanfic!

* * *

Translations

_Grazie_ – Thanks

_mio amico_ – my friend

_Si_ – Yes

_Signorina_ – Lady, specifically an unmarried woman

_Buona notte!_ – Good night!

* * *

"_Curiosity"_

_by Agar_

**Part I**

Leonardo's workshop was quiet except for the hiss of breath Ezio would let out whenever the needle passed through his skin. Earlier in the evening he'd been caught by the glancing blow of a guard's sword underneath his ribs, though luckily the wound was not serious. A few stitches would take care of it, and so he found himself in the home of his friend, half undressed and covered in blood, again. The long gash was nearly sewn shut expect but for one last painful, stinging inch, and he resisted the urge to tell Leonardo to hurry. Instead, he took another long gulp of wine from his cup, though it did little to dull the bite of metal pricking his tender stomach and the disquieting sensation of string being pulled through his flesh. To distract himself, he examined the many odds and ends chaotically decorating Leonard's studio.

"You need an assistant."

"I don't want one. They get underfoot and steal," Leonardo said without looking up from his work. He kneeled at Ezio's feet to better reach the wound, who was slumped in the only chair at Leonardo's table.

"This place is a mess."

"I happen to like my mess the way it is. An assistant would only try to organize it and I'd never be able to find anything again. Hold this—" Leonardo handed him the end of the thread while he tied off the last knot. Without asking, Ezio released his hidden blade and cut off the extra as he had a hundred times before. "_Grazie_. Now what I would really like you to do is dodge next time so I don't have to do this again. You are a terrible patient, _mio amico_," Leonardo said as he stood and brushed the dust of his knees.

"_Si_, I'll be sure to tell the guards how inconvenient you find fixing their handiwork to be."

"See that you do," Leonardo replied humorously and began washing the blood from his hands in a basin on the table. He wrung out a wet cloth and passed it over so the assassin could clean as well. Ezio took it and absentmindedly swiped at the blood on his abdomen, not bothering to tie his shirt up after to let the wound dry, then handed it back. "As always, you are welcome to recover here. Feel free to use my bed, I will be working for a while longer before I retire."

Ezio snorted. "A while longer" for Leonardo really meant, "I'll fall asleep at my desk, then wake up before you do anyway." "I cannot take your bed. I will not impose on you more than I already have."

"We have this argument every time. You need the rest, Ezio. I know you move from one mission to the next, never getting a break. You've hardly healed from one injury before you gain another." He waved the bloody rag at Ezio menacingly. "Don't think I didn't see those bruises I remember from the _last_ time you were here. Come," and he motioned for Ezio to follow up the stairs to his bedroom.

Grimacing as he stood up, Ezio complied, his legs feeling like lead with each step up the stairs. He held back a yawn while Leonardo ushered him through the door and light the bedside lamp. Like the studio, Leonardo's bedroom was cluttered, but not with incomplete art since his window faced north and received only indirect sunlight ill-suited for drawing. Instead it featured a battered wooden wardrobe, a wide end table with a glass oil lap, and a large, comfortable bed that dominated the small room (a gift from a wealthy, _female_ patron of Leonardo's who had hoped to make her way into said bed). Ezio collapsed gratefully onto it, sighing as he melting into the goose down mattress and soft sheets. His bed was _nothing_ like this and as much as he enjoyed the chance to sleep on it he always felt guilty for depriving Leonardo of his own bed. Especially since it was such a decadent, pillow covered nest of velvet and fine linen, smelling faintly of the fresh herbal soap used to wash them.

"Now stay there before you do something stupid like jump out the window and reopen your stitches. You'll ruin all my hard work," Leonardo chided as he pulled out an extra blanket from the oak chest at the foot of the bed.

Ezio chuckled into the pillows, then winced when the motion pulled at the aforementioned stitches. "You know me too well."

"Of course I do, you're my best friend."

"You mean only friend," Ezio said bluntly, though the words were not intended to hurt. He tugged on Leonardo's sleeve, pulling the other man to sit on the edge of the bed with him. "I've noticed you have many patrons, Leonardo, but few companions."

Leonardo toyed with the hem of the blanket, not looking up. "You have keen eyes. No wonder you're such a good assassin."

Ezio ignored the attempt to change the subject. "Why do you isolate yourself so? I have never seen you with a woman."

"My work is my life. I cannot imagine any woman wanting to play second fiddle to a painting."

"Isn't that the truth! Rosa is demanding enough. At least I have the excuse of my assignments to escape her and her merry band of thieves."

"And I can barely escape my patrons," Leonardo joked, gesturing to the bed.

Ezio grinned. "I imagine _Signorina_ Ginerva was quite disappointed to find out all you intended to do in this bed was _sleep_."

"I wasn't about to be bought by a bed, no matter how nice it is," Leonardo scoffed.

"Mmmm, I'd be _quite_ happy to accompany _Signorina_ Ginvera if a meant a bed half as nice as this." Ezio raised his eyebrows suggestively, leaving no doubt what kind of company he meant with the beautiful noblewoman.

Leonardo rolled his eyes and stood. "At least it would take more than something as paltry as material wealth to earn my affections," he shot back, walking to the door with a smirk the assassin couldn't see.

Ezio's jaw dropped. "Did you just call me a cheap slut?"

"_Buona notte!_"

* * *

**A/N**: You ARE a cheap slut Ezio. :D Sorry guys, so sexy-time yet, that will be in part 4.


	2. Part II

Translations

_Signore _– Lord

_Per piacere_ – Please

_grazie a Dio!_ – thank God!

_Che?_ – What?

_Mi dispiace _– I'm sorry

_Non_ – No

_assassini_ – assassins

_sodomia_ – sodomy

* * *

_"Curiosity"_

_by Agar_

**Part II**

_I hate commissions_, Leonardo thought as he threw down his paintbrush to answer the knock on his door. _People just expect me to drop everything I'm doing to paint their vapid, silly twit of a wife to show their devotion when they have three mistresses anyway. Then they send servants to hound me about my progress. __Maybe if they didn't harass me so badly I'd be done sooner!_

"I told you before, _Signore_ Lombardi's painting will be done when it's _bloody well_—" Leonardo growled, throwing open the door to reveal not another courier, but a smirking Ezio.

"...done," Leonardo finished lamely. "Ezio. You used the door."

"Despite my habit of sailing through your open windows I am capable of it. Invite me in?"

"Oh, _si, si!_ Come in and sit, I was just about to take a break. I swear if I have to stare at Giulietta Lombardi's fuzzy upper lip a second longer I'll toss that damn thing into the fireplace."

Amused by his friend's rare sour mood, Ezio closed kicked the door shut behind him and helped himself to the kitchen. He returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses, which he set at the table and poured. He held one up to Leonardo. "I think you need this more than I do right now."

"_Grazie_, Ezio." Leonardo took a sip of the smooth merlot and let it sooth his frazzled nerves. "So what brings you here, _mio amico?_"

"Lunch," said Ezio, pulling out a loaf of bread, two apples, and a cut of smoked ham from a rucksack. "I decided I would rather sit and enjoy my food than wolf it down like a dog while avoiding the guards." He pointed to the extra apple. "For you. I know you don't eat meat."

Leonardo gave him a grateful smile. "You know, for the most terrifying assassin in _Italia_ you are a surprisingly good man. I am glad your duties have not hardened your heart too much."

Ezio shrugged, tearing off a piece of bread and popping in his mouth. "Most men would be unable to get past the blood on my hands to see that."

"Then it is a good thing I am not most men."

"No, you are not, _grazie a Dio!_" Ezio laughed. "The world is not ready for two Leonardos."

"Now _there's_ a thought. Wouldn't it be interesting to have a double? I could get twice as much work done," Leonardo mused dreamily as he replaced the lids on his paint and set his brushes aside to clean. Then he scowled. "Maybe then I could finally finish a project! I've hardly had a day's peace from those messengers, all of them with the same stupid questions. '_Is the master's painting done yet?' 'My lady wishes to see the progress on her portrait, will you be home to receive her?' 'When will you be ready to present Signore So-and-so's commission?'_ I'm sick of it! They're like vultures circling overhead, waiting for a chance to eat up more of my time. I can't even leave the studio!" He snatched the apple off the table and bit into it savagely, juice spilling over his lips and dripping down his wrist. He cursed as it soaked into his sleeve, making it sticky.

"You need to get laid."

Leonardo choked on his bite of apple and felt heat flood his face. With his pale complexion he must have looked like a tomato stuffed under a hat. "Ezio!"

"You just seem so tightly wound. You nearly bit the head off that courier earlier. Yes, I did see that, I was on the roof," Ezio said when Leonardo flushed. "I've never seen you act this way. A healthy fuck would do you a world of good," Ezio said authoritatively.

Leonardo deliberately turned his back to the younger man and pretended to study his painting. "We are _not_ discussing this. In absolutely no way is this conversation appropriate."

"A man is free to discuss whatever he wants in the privacy of his home. Relax." Ezio continued, "Really Leonardo, we must find you a woman! Some sweet voluptuous thing who can cook you vegetarian lasagna and nag you to finish commissions, then ride you into the mattress every night. I bet you'd have lots of children, too, with big blue eyes and no attention span whatsoever just like their papa."

"_Per piacere_, Ezio, enough."

"Or maybe you don't want that kind of commitment. If the court ladies do not interest you I know of several professionals who would be glad to spend time with a man of your—"

"I prefer men!" Leonardo blurted out before he could stop himself. Then he blanched, fear turning his fingers numb. The half eaten apple fell to the floor.

Ezio stopped in mid-sentence, clearly not understanding the significance of what the other man had said. "_Che?_"

Leonardo swallowed, his mouth dry, then slowly turned around to face Ezio. "I-I do not find women attractive," he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

The assassin gaped at him stunned. "Oh," Ezio said dumbly.

"_Mi dispiace_," Leonardo apologized though he wasn't sure for what.

"_Non_, it is alright," Ezio shook his head, bewildered. "I just didn't know."

"Does it...bother you?" Leonardo asked, dreading the answer but needing to know. He could only think of all the times he'd undressed his wounded friend and tended to his injuries, and wondered if that casual closeness would now stop.

"Of course not. You are my friend. I can hardly judge you for your choice in companions when I make my living as a killer."

"_'Nothing is real, everything is permitted?'_" Leo quoted.

Ezio chuckled. "Exactly, though I don't think that's _quite_ what Altair meant when he said that."

"Well, it hardly matters. I have no lover and no intention of taking one any time soon." He tried not to sound bitter.

"Why not? You are handsome, intelligent, and available."

Though he'd heard similar words before, the compliment sounded a thousand times better coming from the painfully gorgeous Auditore assassin. Leonardo smiled wistfully. "And already under careful watch for my 'suspected' association with the _assassini_. It would not do to give our enemies any more ammunition. No, I cannot afford to be caught," _again_, Leonardo left unspoken.

"I confess, I prefer you alive than hanged for _sodomia_."

_You have no idea_, Leo thought.

* * *

**A/N**: According to the Baby Names World website, Giulietta is a girl's name meaning 'down-bearded youth.' *snicker* I imagine some of those Italian Renaissance ladies had mustaches.

Leonardo wants to invent cloning so he can make Clone Leo to do all his work and he'll have time to bang Clone Ezio.


	3. Part III

Translations

_Femminile_ – feminine

* * *

"_Curiosity"_

_by Merytsetesh_

**Part III**

Three weeks later Leonardo had put his embarrassing confession behind him, but had not forgotten it. As if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, he felt so much lighter without the burden of his secret, even if he had only told one person. Still, Ezio was the only person who mattered, his one personal friend not also a customer or fellow artist. It was nice to have this honesty between them, even if it was not complete. Leonardo was not so foolish to not realize Ezio's tolerance could only go so far.

But regardless of Leonardo's unnatural desires, Ezio kept his word and continued to act as he always did around the painter, a constant companion that gave Leonardo the acceptance he needed to assuage his insecurities. The long days were less lonely for Ezio's frequent visits, and the assassin made a point to stop by even when only passing though Venice on his way to other destinations. The numerous times in which Ezio came to rest and recover at his studio were a welcome distraction from Leonardo's often frustrating work.

Less welcomes was Ezio's sudden surge of interest in his private affairs.

Leonardo had just dipped his quill in the inkwell when Ezio, slumped on the decorative couch he used to pose his models, said with deceptive casualness, "I've never known anyone who liked their own sex before."

Leonardo choked and dropped the quill, leaving an unsightly puddle of ink on the middle on his parchment. "_What?_"

"I was thinking that you're the only sodomite I know."

Leonardo winced. Sometimes he forgot just how _young_ his friend was. Already an accomplished killer at the age most young men were first exploring the joys of adulthood, the death of his family had aged him prematurely. In some ways he was more mature than Leonardo, but his honest, open inquisitiveness and ignorance of homosexuality proved he was still innocent of many things. Though on the surface Leonardo appeared naive compared to his assassin friend, the older man was jaded in other ways. Shoving aside the ruined parchment, he mopped up the ink that had seeped through the page before he could forget it was there and rest his elbow in it. "That's unlikely. It is more common than you think, but one would have to be a fool to ever admit to it."

"You told me," Ezio pointed out.

Leonardo rolled his eyes. "Obviously that was a mistake."

Ezio comically clutched his heart as it struck by an arrow. "I'm hurt! You know you can trust me."

"It is not your trust I question, but your sense. Why in the world did you bring this up?"

The assassin shrugged, a comical action for a man covered in armor. "It just occurred to me. I have seen some of Teodora's ladies kiss each other—sometimes quite passionately!" He grinned deviously. "—but never two men. Is it any different?"

Leonardo blinked, taken aback. "What, kissing a man?"

"_Si_."

He looked pointedly at Ezio's unshaven chin. "Only if he has stubble."

To Ezio's appreciation, Leonardo tactfully didn't comment when he suddenly changed the subject to the Codex pages.

* * *

"Doesn't it hurt?"

Confused, Leonardo looked back and forth between Ezio and his work in progress, trying to discern the non sequitur. "Painting...?"

Ezio actually squirmed. "You know. Being with a man. Like _that_."

_Oh_. While pondering how to best answer, Leonardo set down his brush and palette. It would be impossible to focus and get any more work done after Ezio dropped _that_ question in his lap. Fussing over his dirty brushes to keep from having to look at Ezio, he spoke. "It can if your partner is careless and does not...prepare you properly." Which was the nicer, less graphic way of saying fingering. "Then there is some discomfort, but it passes."

He glanced over his shoulder to see Ezio's no doubt uncomfortable expression, but the assassin was listening as avidly as any student and seemed to be expecting more. To keep from stuttering over the topic like a cloistered virgin (which he most definitely was _not_), he tried to pretend this was just other invention or discovery he was explaining. He cleared his throat and lectured with clinical detachment. "First the man on the receiving end must be relaxed. A little wine or a massage may help, but trusting your partner is the most important part. Then he must use his fingers to stretch the muscle, or else the skin could tear. The tissues there are very thin and delicate, and that is not a place you want to be injured. Lubricant is applied to the surfaces to reduce friction. Olive oil is best, though it makes a mess of the sheets."

That was probably too much information, but Ezio did not seem put off, only thoughtful. "That's sounds a lot more complicated than sex with a woman."

"It probably is, but the advantage is that afterwards you can roll over and fall asleep without a woman wanting to talk."

Ezio burst into laughter and proceed to recount one such memorable occasion of pillow talk that ended with, "Thankfully we managed to sneak pass the dinner party downstairs without suspicion, but she later told me the dress would never be wearable again. My shoulders were too broad and the sleeves were ripped beyond repair."

* * *

"So who is the woman?"

This time Leonardo managed not to drop what he was holding, which was a good thing since it was his lute. He had little money for luxuries, and his lute had been an indulgence that dug deeply into his pockets. He had been nearly done replacing the strings when Ezio had come by. Carefully, he set it down in its case and placed it back on the shelf. "I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that."

Ezio raised his hands defensively. "It's a perfectly legitimate question and I mean no harm by it. I am only curious. Though you are most definitely a man, occasionally there is something in your manner that is oddly _femminile_, enough so that I wonder if it carries over into the bedroom."

Leonardo blushed. Ezio had guessed rightly in that Leonardo occasionally took the role of the woman. Though in his last relationship he had been the dominant partner, there had been times when Leonardo had craved the intimacy of penetration. On those nights he had yielded sweetly to his lover, all lustful looks and splayed thighs beneath him, and when he couldn't stand the teasing shallow thrusts any longer he'd flipped his lover onto his back and sank down onto the erect cock to find his orgasm in his own manner.

"Do you flip or coin or something?"

Leonardo laughed despite himself and shook his head. Trust the crude, brash young nobleman to shatter the mood. "Ezio, it's not a card game. It's about the spirit of the moment. You don't plan it, you just know what feels right and it happens." Though he didn't realize it, a dreamy smile had settled on his face. "Some men will only top and some prefer only to bottom. The best lovers enjoy both equally, but they are a rare breed." Then a wicked thought came to him, and he gave Ezio a sly, suggestive look out of the corner of his eye. "Of course, tradition dictates that it's the _younger_ man who receives."

This time, Leonardo was pleased to notice, it was Ezio who blushed.

* * *

**A/N**: No, Ezio does not have his beard yet, he just doesn't shave very often and gets sexy looking stubble. UNF!

In my universe he once wore a dress to avoid an angry father beating the shit out of him for sleeping with his daughter.

Dinner Guest 1: "My, what a beast of a woman. She is taller than me!"

Dinner Guest 2: "Your daughter is such a kind soul to befriend such a wretch."

Girl's Father: "Yes, my darling is sometimes too generous. I wonder where she could have picked up such a bedraggled looking thing."

Pervy Guest: "Pfft, you are all so short sighted! Beauty will fade, but a woman like that would provide many strong sons! That is no flower who wilts from the pains of the marriage bed."

Ezio: "Oh shi—"

Thanks to Phuq for her help coming up with annoying personal questions for Ezio to ask Leo. This chapter wouldn't be half as awesome if not for her.


	4. Part IV

Translations

_Scusi – S_orry

_bello_ – beautiful, specifically referring to a male

_Va bene_ – all right, very well

* * *

"_Curiosity"_

_By Merytsetesh_

**Part IV**

Under the warm glow of an oil lamp, Leonardo carefully inked the curve of an ankle. The rasp of the quill on the crisp parchment and the crackle of burning wood in the brazier were the only sounds in the normally busy studio. It was late in the evening, past the hour Leonardo normally chose to retire, but Ezio had come to visit and the two had wiled away the time talking and sipping wine.

Lulled into a dozing state by the fire and alcohol, Ezio rested in the studio corner, his armor piled at his feet. Not quite asleep but not exactly awake, he sprawled on the decorative chaise lounge Leonardo used as a prop to pose his models. Had Leonardo not already been busy with another sketch, he might have been tempted to draw him, but he was close to finishing his current sketch and wanted to complete it before bed. Focused so intently on his work, he didn't notice when Ezio stirred from his place on the lounge to stand behind him until a hand was placed on his shoulder.

"_Scusi_, Leonardo. I have been poor company this evening. It seems I was more tired than I thought."

Leonardo waved his apology off, quill still in hand. "Nonsense. Obviously, you needed the rest. You are welcome to stay the night as well."

"_Grazie_." He squeezed Leonardo's shoulder, but the artist winced under his grasp. "What's wrong?"

"Ah, just an aching back, the result of too many hours hunched over my desk like a vulture." Returning his quill to the inkwell, Leonardo rolled his shoulders, feeling his spine pop back into place with a loud crack. "Perhaps it would be best to call it a night. I'll finish this in the morning." He held the still wet parchment at arm's length and eyed it critically. "Well? What you you think?"

Ezio peered over his shoulder to look. He tilted his head to the side and squinted. "It's good. Very detailed. You can even see the tendons in his foot."

The foot, Leonardo thought, being as far up the figure's body as Ezio felt comfortable looking. The model's shaved groin had left nothing hidden when Leonardo had done the preliminary sketch.

"Did you consider him handsome?" Ezio asked out of nowhere.

Leonardo blinked owlishly. "The model? I suppose. He was more aesthetically pleasing than sexually attractive."

Ezio frowned; that hadn't been the response he was expecting. He stared at the sketch, as if by doing so he could make it give up its master's secrets. "What's so good about it?"

By now Leonardo didn't even have to ask what Ezio was referring to. The half perplexed, half curious tone of voice said it all. He set down the anatomy study with a sigh and began massaging his temples to stave off the headache he could feel coming. "Ezio, _not this again_."

"I'm serious! I just can't picture it. Men are so..."

"...So?" he prompted.

Ezio wrinkled his nose. "..._hairy_."

The artist couldn't help but laugh. "True, but some are worse than others. I admit I have a limit to how much I can tolerate."

"...and sweaty."

Leonardo raised an eyebrow. "Am I sweaty?"

"No."

"Then clearly not all men are hairy, sweaty beasts. Some can be rather delicate, even beautiful."

"If that's what you like, then why not just have a woman?" Ezio seated himself on the edge of the table, getting comfortable for what would no doubt be a long explanation.

Leonardo shuddered. "No thanks, I've sketched a woman's genitalia before. Why you would ever want to put the most sensitive part of your body inside one, I have no idea. It has countless folds and wrinkles so you can hardly tell where to put it in, they expel necrotic blood and mucus once a month, and it's..." Leonardo trailed off as he searched for the right word. "..._squishy_. Like a wet sponge."

At the lurid description Ezio nearly fell off the table laughing. "_Si_, I get your point! A spongy woman is a poor substitute for your hairy-but-not-too-hairy man."

It did sound ridiculous when put that way. "You are never going to let me forget that, are you?"

"Nope. So if you don't want _spongy women_," Ezio actually giggled at that, "or furry men, what is it you _do_ like?"

Leonardo squirmed in his seat. "Different things. It depends on the man."

"And?"

"And what?"

"And what else? You can't just stop there, I'll wonder forever what you meant."

"Ezio, you like women. Why do you care?"

"Call it scientific curiosity," Ezio said lightly, echoing the many times Leonardo had pursued an unfamiliar topic simply for the value of knowledge; but Ezio was no scholar and his apparent interest in Leonardo's bedroom habits had no honorable explanation.

Leonardo bristled, incensed at having to justify his private, personal preferences just for the sake of Ezio's amusement. _He wants to know so damn badly? Then I'll tell him in more excruciating detail then he ever wanted to hear._

"_Va bene_," he snapped. "I enjoy how young men look on their knees, pink lips stretched wide around my prick as they struggle to swallow more. I crave the incredible, overwhelming tightness and heat of their insides—tighter than any woman you've had, I can assure you. I like when they're eager for more, though it hurts them to take all of me since I'm rather well endowed. Then after I've sated myself in their supple flesh, I want to be pinned to the bed by a different man, someone bigger and stronger than me so I couldn't get away even if I wanted to, and fucked until I cry because it _feels so damn good_."

He didn't dare look to see Ezio's reaction. The silence was oppressive enough. Inwardly he cursed himself for loosing his temper and divulging that much information, but he was just so damned tired of Ezio (bello_ Ezio who has no idea how much I _want_ him_) pushing all his buttons. He couldn't be blamed, when it had been so god damned long since he'd dared approach anyone for sex, and here was a handsome, curious, perfectly straight young man asking what he liked in bed. He could cry over the unfairness.

Leonardo couldn't hide forever. Nervously picking at the dried paint under his fingernails, he braced himself for Ezio's disgust and slowly brought his head up to squarely meet his friend's eyes. "Happy now?"

Ezio stared, his expression unreadable. After a long, awkward moment in which Leonardo did his best to meet his gaze evenly and not run away in embarrassment, he at last spoke. "Wow. I had no idea you could be so...filthy."

That shattered whatever bravery he'd mustered. Leonardo's looked back down to his fidgeting hands. "Yes, well, now you know my dirty secret. Please get out of my workshop and let me be ashamed in peace."

Then, to Leonardo's horror, Ezio muttered thoughtfully in the same blasé manner one would have when deciding what to buy in the market, "Maybe I should try sex with a man."

It was too much, so close to Leonardo's own secret, impossible dream that it hurt. The opportunity of it coming true was torment, like the myth of Tantalus reaching for food just out of reach; and here was Ezio looking so much like forbidden fruit.

Leonardo knew he was a consummate lover; if he tried, he could make Ezio enjoy it, love it even. After all, what man would refuse a willing, talented mouth? But the inevitable aftermath when Ezio realized no, he didn't like men, but thanks anyway, would be devastating on Leonardo's already scarred heart. He'd been burnt before by such recklessness.

"_Mio amico_, do not mock me. You don't mean that," Leonardo said, his chest aching. Pain bloomed in his hand, and he realized he'd clenched his fist so hard his nails had drawn blood. He wiped his hand on a rag and hoped Ezio would mistake it for paint.

"How would you know what I do and do not mean? You made quite the compelling argument."

But Leonardo was only human, and knew he wouldn't be able to resist if Ezio insisted. Even if the sex would mean nothing to him, Leonardo would hold that one night of intimacy close and let it comfort him when the loneliness was too much. "I think you'll find the reality to be far different from whatever fantasy you are entertaining."

But the voice that replied came not from across the table, but right next to his ear. "Who said anything about fantasies?"

Leonardo froze as hands settled upon his shoulders and began kneading the tense muscles firmly through the thin material of his shift. Involuntarily, he melted against them and let out a ragged moan when the pad of a thumb dug into a knot. It worked the spot steadily, pushing the tension from the stiff muscle, and the painful pleasure of it distracted Leonardo from the other hand pulling at the laces on his collar. Ezio had strong hands and Leonardo wondered what that grip would feel like lower down, his heart thundering in his chest at the thought. His skin felt too warm and his pants too tight.

Then the sensation of cool air over his nipple brought him back to awareness and he realized Ezio had slipped his chemise down over one shoulder. Standing, he untangled himself from Ezio's arms and backed away. "No, Ezio."

"You're attracted to me." It wasn't a question, just Ezio calming stating the facts. It was impossible to deny when the evidence tented Leonardo's breeches, and he tugged at the hem of his shift to better hide it, embarrassment plain on his face.

"I'll understand if you don't want me to treat your wounds anymore."

"_Non, non!_ You are better than any doctor and I trust that you will not to rob me blind or take advantage of me while I am unconscious!" Ezio laughed. "Though I certainly wouldn't blame you." He winked suggestively.

The tense atmosphere gone, Leonardo laughed too. "Ezio, you are truly unique. I can see why the ladies like you."

Ezio cocked his head to one side and smiled coyly. "But what do _you_ like about me?"

Leonardo felt his stomach flip. "Ezio, don't make me say it! That's private!"

"But it's about me, so that makes it my business." Ezio positively _stalked_ towards Leonardo, his hips swaying like a panther's. Leonardo backed up until his thighs bumped into the workbench, and Ezio (literally) pressed his advantage. He leaned forward and splayed his palms on the bench on either side of Leonardo, trapping the more slender man in place. There was so little space between them Leonardo could feel the heat of Ezio's skin. "Besides, I'd like to know what it takes to capture the attention of Venice's greatest bachelor."

Leonardo peeked out shyly from behind his bangs. Ezio's smile was playful, but honest. Like his previous inquiries, he wasn't deliberately trying to upset Leonardo, he was just too curious for his own good (and in this case, eager to have his attributes lauded). There wasn't really any harm in telling him, Leonardo decided. _Other than inflating his already large ego. _"You have the most ideal body of any man I've ever seen. Your muscle definition is exquisite and you're perfectly proportioned. I've wanted to sketch you for years, but have been afraid to ask."

Ezio stared wide-eyed at his friend, both shocked and flattered. He'd been complimented many times on his body before, but Leonardo had a way with words that somehow made them seem more genuine. Instead of preening under the attention, he felt a little shy under the other man's scrutiny.

"And your skin...you're practically hairless except for your face and legs. Your chest is smooth like a youth."

Ezio looked down at his own chest speculatively. His lack of "manly chest hair" as Federico had called it had been a private source of embarrassment since puberty. He had no idea that anyone would find it's absence _more_ attractive, but the barely hidden hunger in Leonardo's eyes didn't lie.

"I love that you wear your hair long. It frames your face and accents your eyes." Leonardo loved long hair. The one trait he'd found alluring in women was their elegantly braided and adorned hair.

Obligingly, Ezio pulled the red velvet ribbon from his ponytail and let the long strands fall loose over his shoulders.

"_Si_, like that," Leonardo sighed. With a sudden burst of courage, he dared to tuck one of the soft strands behind Ezio's ear, accidentally brushing his fingers against the supple skin of Ezio's neck. The assassin's skin burned where they made contact. When Ezio didn't protest, Leonardo continued to pet and stroke his exposed neck and collar. He traced the elegant line of Ezio's clavicle, the firm Trapezius muscle, and the pounding jugular.

Ezio shivered and let out a broken moan when Leonardo unknowingly pinched the spot on his neck he liked to have bitten. The jolt of pain went straight to his crotch, and he grabbed Leonardo's roving hand and placed it firmly on the front of his breeches. He was already half hard.

Reflexively, Leonardo's grip tightened. It jerked in his hand and his will to resist Ezio's advances shattered.

Holding him by the wrist, Ezio directed Leonardo to rub his palm in firm circles over his thickening member. Leonardo could feel the heat of it through the fabric, like a hot brand scorching his hand. The thin material left little to his imagination and when he pulled his hand away Ezio's prick bulged outward obscenely, the ridge of the crown visible. Leonardo traced it with the pad of his thumb and was repaid with the creation of a small, damp spot where the proof of Ezio's excitement leaked through.

Aroused and uncertain, Ezio looked meaningfully at his best friend with dark, bedroom eyes. Leonardo's mouth went dry.

"I don't know what I'm doing," Ezio said a little sheepishly.

"That's all right," Leonardo whispered into Ezio's ear, his breath warm and moist. "_I do_."

* * *

**A/N**: Ezio thinks hairy, sweaty Italian men are kinda gross. Leonardo and I both draws the line at back hair. *shudders*

Curiosity is now a 5 part fic, not 4 like I originally planned. Part 4 was getting so long that I decided to break it in two and post what I had so far since Part 5 is taking so long to complete. I hope this tides everyone over until the climax (hahaha, it's a sex scene, get it?).

This chapter beta-ed by the lovely and talented Lady Madbeth! *cheers* Go read her awesome Ezio/Leonardo fic "Leaps of Faith" at yaoi gallery.


	5. Part V

Translations

_puttana_ – whore

_Oh merda, si! Per favore_ – Oh shit, yes! Please

_Dio bene_ – good God

_Cazzo!_ – Fuck!

_amante_ – lover

_Fantastico_ - Fantastic

_Stronzo!_ – Fucker!

* * *

"_Curiosity"_

_By Merytsetesh_

**Part V**

Later Leonardo would remember the trip up the studio's stairs as a jumble of groping hands and little else. Ezio had been determined to keep Leonardo's hands busy between his legs; a difficult feat when trying to climb stairs.

They'd stumbled onto the bed in a graceless heap, Leonardo immediately crawling between Ezio's splayed legs to continue his ministrations. Unsure whether to return the attention, Ezio settled for petting Leonardo's thigh chastely. The artist's nimble fingers squeezed and rubbed more surely than any courtesan Ezio had entertained, gentle enough to keep from hurting the sensitive organs and hard enough to satisfy. Perhaps it was because he had a cock of his own or maybe, like the courtesans, he had learned how to please another man from experience.

The mental image of Leonardo doing this to another man was both disquieting and arousing for its depravity. Had he learned this skill from an older patron, Ezio wondered? Or had he discovered his sexuality in a studio loft with another young man, years ago during his apprenticeship? Ezio bet the teenage Leonardo had been beautiful, all long limbs, exotic blond hair, and guileless blue eyes. He'd certainly grown into a stunningly handsome man. Trying to look at his friend like a woman would, Ezio examined his features and body, and had to admit that he liked what he saw. Especially the enticing blush on Leonardo's freckled cheeks, and lower down the the firm rump nicely filling out the back of his leggings. Unable to resist, he snaked one hand past Leonardo's hips and squeezed.

Leonardo yelped, but didn't slap Ezio's hand away. That was permission enough for the younger man, and he slipped his hand past the waist band. Leonardo's ass felt _perfect_, all tight muscles and just enough body fat to give it a pleasing round shape. He slapped one cheek playfully, and to his shock Leonardo groaned in pleasure, shifting backward on the bed to press into Ezio's cupped hand.

Ezio smirked, one pointed tooth poking past his lips, giving him a wolfish look. "Dirty little _puttana_, you like that!" He did it again, then once more, thrilled with his friend's shocked gasps and grunts, deeper in pitch than a woman's but no less pleasing to the ear. Distracted, Leonardo hands had frozen in place over his groin. Ezio rolled his hips. "Keep touching me or I'll spank you hard enough you won't be able to sit without feeling it."

"Then stop distracting me and I promise to make up for it." He licked his lips and Ezio suddenly understood just what Leonardo was about to do.

"Oh _merda, si! Per favore,_" he moaned in anticipation.

Leonardo chuckled and pushed his shoulder down into the soft goose down mattress. Ezio let himself be guided, willing to follow Leonardo's lead now that the painter's intentions were obvious. He unlaced Ezio's breeches and the engorged erection sprung forth from the opening, already arching towards his flat stomach proudly. Ezio had to suppress a grin at the way Leonardo's eyes widened.

_Dio bene, Ezio is a big boy_, Leonardo thought. His penis was not as long as his own, but thick. The man was blessed with truly impressive girth, so much so that he must be uncomfortable for smaller women. Leonardo shivered at the thought of taking all that hard heat into his body, stretched wider than any other lover had managed. As he stared, a small bit of precum beaded at the reddened head. Unable to resist, he leaned forward to catch it, moaning at the sharp, salty flavor.

Breath catching in his throat, Ezio pressed the head of his cock into Leonardo's moist lips eagerly. To his surprise, they parted easily around him and began to gently suck and mouth at the tip.

"_Cazzo!_"

Leonardo would have smirked, but his mouth was otherwise occupied. With his lips pulled over his teeth to keep from accidentally scraping the delicate skin, he lapped teasingly at the weeping slit, licked the thick vein on the underside of the shaft and swirled his tongue around the head, all to the sound of Ezio's labored breath. Inching forward, he let Ezio slide deeper into his mouth, stopping shy of brushing the back of his throat. Then he employed a favorite trick of his own, pressing hard on the spot just below the head that never failed to make Leonardo weak in the knees with pleasure. Judging from the sudden frantic buck of Ezio's hips, it was just as sensitive on him.

Feeling like he would fly away from his body if he did not anchor himself, Ezio reached down to run his fingers through Leonardo's hair. It was fine as silk, especially the short feathery bits at the nape of his neck. Gently, he tugged Leonardo forward and directed him to take more, shocked and pleased when half of his shaft easily disappeared into Leonardo's mouth. He began to pant, pulse racing as pleasure danced along his nerve endings, heat spreading through his lower belly.

Remembering Leonardo's graphic confession from just minutes before, Ezio had to agree. There was something very appealing in the way Leonardo's lips stretched to take in his length, eyes falling shut in concentration. With a warm blush on his cheeks, he looked demure, almost submissive, but there was nothing innocent in the way he skillfully pleasured Ezio. He'd obviously done this before and Ezio was suddenly irrationally jealous of the man who had taught him.

Grasping what he couldn't fit in his mouth in his right hand, Leonardo began to move his head in a steady rhythm. Soft, wet sucking sounds filled the bedroom, but Leonardo barely heard it over his thundering heart. It had been ages since he'd last done this and Ezio felt so good in his mouth, heavy and hot on his tongue, tasting of everything Leonardo had been dreaming about for years. God, but he'd missed this, the power of controlling another man's pleasure with every deft flick of his tongue. Ezio was writhing on the bed on front of him, eyes fluttering shut with pleasure, mouth open in a gasp and Leonardo felt a rush of satisfaction from knowing he was the cause; him, Ezio's best friend, not a nameless whore. He also knew that he was better than those women because they had to be paid to do this. Leonardo did it because he liked it. _Loved_ it even, so much so that the eroticism of the act was having a definite physical effect on him.

He reached down to free himself from his own pants, moaning in relief as he stroked his manhood in time with his bobbing head. Already it was leaking and the slick fluid made his hand glide. Truth be told, he had a bit of an oral fixation and loved to give head. In fact, he would often suck his own fingers as he masturbated just to have something in his mouth, but he knew now that they were a poor substitute for Ezio's hard, throbbing cock. Already he could feel his climax approaching, so he slowed his pumping hand and switched to fingering the sensitive frenulum. Though it had been a while since he'd had a partner, he had enough experience to control his orgasm and he wanted this encounter to last as long as possible.

Ezio, on the other hand, had no such resolve. By now he was a shaking, moaning mess, made of nothing but want and unfulfilled desire. He was racing towards his end at breakneck speed, his thighs trembling from the strain of holding still to keep from thrusting wildly into the inviting wet heat of Leonardo's mouth. A wasted effort, since Leonardo then sucked him down to the root and Ezio thrust anyway. Leonardo gagged and pulled back.

Ezio was horrified. "Sorry!"

But Leonardo, unfazed, smirked, his blue eyes burning into Ezio's. "Don't hold back, _amante_," his murmured, his voice husky, "I want to taste you." Then he plunged back down.

The thought of Leonardo actually _enjoying_ his seed was his undoing. He thrust once, twice, and then with a loud groan he spent himself powerfully into Leonardo's waiting mouth. This time Leonardo didn't choke, but swallowed smoothly around him, the increased suction pulling another tremor from his overwrought body. His penis pulsed weakly as Leonardo pulled off with an obscene pop, a string of saliva connecting his wet lips to Ezio's softening member.

The image of his best friend kneeling between his legs, with his wet mouth hovering over his exposed lap, hit Ezio like a punch to the gut. This was not the Leonardo da Vinci he knew, the friendly, helpful inventor; instead, this was someone primal, sexual, and enticingly androgynous. Though unmistakably male, there were certain qualities to Leonardo that Ezio enjoyed in women, like the swing of his hips when he walked or the gentleness of his touch. The dichotomy between feminine and masculine was unusual enough to get Ezio's attention and never was this more evident than right now, with the older man's hair mused and his eyes dilated with arousal. Though a little unsettled by his own reaction to it, Ezio decided he liked this new, more visceral side of the man.

Panting, Leonardo gave Ezio a smile that could have been innocent if it weren't for the drop of white fluid at the corner of his lips. Ezio brushed it away with his thumb. "_Fantastico_."

"_Grazie_. I aim to please," Leonardo said smugly as he crawled up the bed to lay at Ezio's side, lying on his stomach to keep his erection from accidentally bumping into Ezio's hip. He was so hard it nearly hurt.

"You most certainly did," Ezio panted, still regaining his breath. "That was...I do not even have words! My body is still burning from the strength of it. Is it always that good with a man?"

"If you have the right partner," Leonardo said, sounding as pleased with himself as the cat that got the canary. Or the cream, as it were.

"I'm afraid to ask where you learned how to do that."

"I don't kiss and tell."

Ezio grinned wickedly. "If that's what you call a kiss I'm surprised I didn't have to wait in line."

Leonardo punched Ezio hard in the shoulder, but his laughter took the sting out of the hit. "_Stronzo!_"

Ezio laughed too, but it quickly morphed into a wide yawn. He twisted his arms over his head, stretching languidly, and then to Leonardo's dismay, kicked off his breeches, clearly settling in for the night.

In Leonardo's bed. Wearing only an unlaced shirt.

Leonardo buried his face into his pillow to muffle his groan, his erection pressing insistently against the mattress, as Ezio, oblivious to his friend's discomfort, fell into an orgasm induced sleep. Leonardo wished he could be so lucky.

* * *

**A/N**: THIS IS NOT THE END. I'm not so cruel that I'd leave Leonardo hanging like that. Don't worry, he gets some TLC (tender loving cock?) from Ezio in the next chapter.

I guess I should really stop staying how long my fics will be until they're over, huh? I totally did the same thing I did last chapter, but at least this way you guys finally get some long awaited Ezio/Leo hotness.

Damn, but it's difficult to write a sex scene. There is a fine line between sexy filth and unintentional comedy. My pet peeve is when authors use ridiculous euphemism for penis because it completely ruins whatever mood was created when I burst out laughing. I hope this chapter doesn't do that to anyone reading it.

I feel a little sacrilegious for calling one of the most brilliant men in history a "dirty little whore" and making him enthusiastically suck cock. My only consolation is that he probably would not have minded.

Lastly, this chapter beta-ed by Lady Madbeth. 3


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